The Annual Grammy/Complaint About Music Nowadays Thread

Try and pepper your posts with phrases similar to:

"I can't believe how out of touch NARAS is. How could they possibly vote _______ as '_________ Of The Year'?"

"Where are new groups like The Beatles?"

"There's too much rap nowadays!"

"I don't watch the Grammys anymore. Haven't watched them in over 20 years."

"Do you remember when they voted Jethro Tull in as 'Heavy Metal Act Of The Year'?"

"Geeez, I can't believe how out of pitch __________ sounded!"

Make that 27 years. My last Grammy watching was 1984, IIRC. I thought it sucked but everyone else couldn't stop talking about MJ moonwalking across the stage.

Re: your images... I always thought Lady Gaga was a white guy.

By starting this thread, I aim to give voice to the disenchanted, those frustrated with the state of today's music. Consider it my good deed for the day.

I'm not going to complain about the Grammys, nor talk about how long it's been since I watched. Awards shows are good for our industry to help promote music in a world where music gets shafted left and right. The Grammies are good. It doesn't matter how I feel about the music that tends to get honored, and on a very positive note, my old musical guru Neil Young got his first musical Grammy ever last night (or so I read in a recap article). Who am I to complain?

By starting this thread, I aim to give voice to the disenchanted, those frustrated with the state of today's music. Consider it my good deed for the day.

Or giving voice to the disenfranchised...

The Grammys means virtually nothing to most of the musicians I know. Few of them watch it or pay any attention to it -- or at least will admit to same. [EDIT: actually, I should probably say that many of them find them either completely irrelevant or insulting.]

Now that C. Michael Green has been removed as NARAS prez, it's not quite as offensive an organization to me as it was.

I wish I could share Jeff's glass half full approach, but I simply don't think the Grammys celebrates music nearly as much as it celebrates celebrity, success, and excess.

Here's some real music... think of it as an antidote to the Grammys...

[video=youtube;Us-TVg40ExM]

In fact, I just checked the last 300 posts (going back to Saturday night late) on my Facebook wall from my 126 friends (almost all of whom I know from the 3DW and who are musicians or sometimes the significant other of musicians) and there were loads of posts and vids of and about music, past and present, but there was exactly one post sort of about the Grammys -- about a CBS reporter, Serene Branson, who apparently suffered a stroke (?) while on the air following the Grammys. (I caught a clip of it from the Telegraph in the UK; it was very disturbing. I join others in hoping she's doing OK.)

UPDATE: the LA Times reports she was looked after by paramedics at the scene who found her vitals normal and that she's doing fine at home this morning. Meanwhile, a number of news sites report that she was hospitalized last night. So much for news in the info-age.

Here's a Google News link that should give up to ongoing up to date links: http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=0z&pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=serene+branson&oq=seren

I never said they celebrated music. I said it's a good promotion tool for the industry. I'll bet 50,000 people Googled Esparanza Spalding after the show, for example. All awards shows are put on by an industry that is celebrating itself. By definition, it's as self-serving as anything, and it's true of every awards show. The designed result is that you (the viewer) possibly becomes aware of new artists, or is reminded of artists you already like, perchance to buy recorded music or concert tickets. That's the only goal, and I think the Grammys still succeed on some level in that regard.

The only thing being celebrated is the fact that there is still a music industry, even if its a shadow of what it once was. The music itself happens whether or not people listen to or pay for it.

Oh, yeah, I didn't think that's what you were saying. I thought you said what you said well.

I just don't have any particular affection for the music business. My introduction to the biz at start of the 70s was seeing some friends screwed into the ground by a still widely revered producer. I do know a few people who the business has treated well, most of them outside my immediate circle, but most of the folks I know who've been involved in the biz have their wounds. I've known more than a couple people who couldn't even perform their own music or play legally for years because they signed seriously exploitative contracts, typically at the urging of "fatherly" managers, producers, publishers, label types and other slime merchants.

The Grammys only make me angry and disgusted.

I think awards shows are stupid, vapid, and self-serving, anyway.

Sorry for being such a hater, but popular music, and all the autotuned, brickwall-limited, in-your-face/ear fatiguing noise that goes with it completely offends me, nowadays.

Most musicians that I know who are anywhere close to the Grammys care that they've been nominated. Few (among those nominees that I've known) have been disappointed that they didn't win, and a few actually have won. Most nominees I've known have been producers or engineers, not pop stars. And those who have won were pretty proud of their work and were happy that they were elected by people who recognized what they did rather than how many times they've heard the name or saw the video of the artist.

I'll just say what I say every year--the Grammys would be much better if they were more like the Oscars.

While I agree that all music needs our support, now more than ever, the music that needs the most support is the kind that elevates the form to a new level--the song and album equivalents of the kinds of films that are celebrated by the Academy every year. Instead, the awards are far more often a rubber stamp for the best selling recording artists, intertwined with performances by people who are better served by a studio than a stage.

Imagine if the Oscars tried to be more like the Tony Awards, if screen actors spent the night performing like Broadway actors to honor the best films. It would be a big mistake. But that's exactly the kind of thing that the Grammys do.

Imagine if the Oscars tried to be more like the Grammy Awards. Not only would screen actors spend the night performing like Broadway actors, but the best picture would go to Toy Story 3, the best actor would be Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and best actress would be Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

The Grammys should be more like the Oscars, AND we need a music awards show that celebrates the best live artists--a music equivalent of the Tony Awards.

Best,

Geoff

I don't think anyone familiar with my well-seasoned curmudgeonery will be particularly surprised to find that I have a similarly jaded view of the Oscars, as well.

I'm really pretty ambivalent about the Grammys. I did the Tivo thing and will watch at some point...but the one thing I DO want to complain about is musicians doing only their "hits." Would love to hear some new material debuted, but I doubt that's ever going to happen.

other than that, what's wrong with them?

HAHAHA! Wow Craig, you really are an optimist.

I know its not in keeping with the spirit of this thread, but I have to say that production crew did a fantastic job on the show. Solidly good sound and smooth transitions.

Lady Gaga did that, but her new single sounded like an old Madonna single.

Who says the grammy's are in any way representative of music these days?

There has been a considerable gulf between real music played by musicians and the manufactured pop song/stars that the major labels churn out of their sausage factories. That gulf has been there at least since I was a teenager in the eighties.

Not defending the grammys but worth noting that album of the year went to an indie rock band signed to Merge Records, and Best new artist went to a female upright double bass player signed to Telarc Jazz.

Last night was the first time in a long time I didn`t shut if off completely disgusted. With the exception of some of those outfits, I actually enjoyed it. For some reason, maybe because I like the artists who won, but I felt that the Grammys were putting on their A game.

The John Mayer, Keith Urban and Norah Jones trio worked quite nicely. I`m still not sure why shes famous but then again... shes got more talent than those Kardashian chicks and the Hilton chick. Katy Perry was actually quite entertaining and easy to look at. I enjoyed Rihanna and Eminem too...

Damn, whats wrong with me?

Seriously, Lady Antebellum is truly magical and I`m glad they won as much as they did.

Strangely enough, I never even heard of the band Arcade Fire or their songs until last night.

I agree 100% Ronan. The sound and the overall rhythm of the show worked. Probably the reason I stayed tuned.

I'm pretty sure it's the other way around. Madonna copied Gaga.

That Madonna's one shrewd cookie. Eventually she'll probably reveal the time machine that allowed her to come forward 21 years to 2010/11 to snake Gaga's fire. Gotta hand it to her.

[Note: I did not have any idea when "Express Yourself" came out; nor was I even aware of the 1990 track; I had to look it up, after I was pointed in its direction by a thread with similar observations over at GS.]

"Born This Way" (audio -- from LG's Vevo Channel): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4a8QtvOkBQ

[video=youtube;GsVcUzP_O_8]

[video=youtube;rImQZ8euKok]

But maybe what we really need is for to take this message to heart...

[video=youtube;APxz9JXW8vE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APxz9JXW8vE

Yeah, but what really bothers me is how all those old blues guys ripped off the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Have they no shame?

But seriously...taken as an arc, the Grammys have gotten better over the years. Anyone who thinks last night's was bad should set the wayback machine about 8-10 years ago.

As to Ronan's comments, maybe the NFL should hire the sound guys from the Grammys to do the Superbowl half-time show...just sayin'...

It's important to remember that the Grammy TV show is about getting ratings, so choices are based on that directive.

Who can forget this magic year and toe-tappin time at the gownfest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azCEu7XsBQw